Exhibition showcases work of artists with developmental disabilities

By SANDRA Q. FIRMIN

“Crossing Lines: Mind to Minds,” an exhibition
resulting from a first-time collaboration between two Western New
York agencies working with adults with developmental disabilities,
will be on view Aug. 1-9 in the First Floor Gallery of the UB Art
Gallery in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.

The exhibition, featuring the work of artists from the Southeast
Works Creative Arts Collective and iXpress arts program at Aspire
of WNY, will open with a free public reception from 5-7 p.m. Aug. 1
in the gallery. The artists will be in attendance; Southeast
Works’ Creative Arts Collective’s Chime Choir will
perform at 5:30 p.m.

The exhibition explores what communication means to the
artists—whether it is miscommunication, symbols, ways of
communicating with one another, or technology used to
communicate.

Over the summer, the artists have been creating pen pal
artworks, which involve artists at one agency producing drawings,
sculptures or paintings during one-week sessions and then sending
them to artists at the other agency, leading to a fascinating
back-and-forth dialogue.

As part of the exhibition, the artists also will create
temporary assemblage installations together in the UB Art
Gallery.

Artists with Southeast Works Creative Arts Collective are known
for using found materials and objects, and incorporating them into
their artwork. The materials they use are discarded from work they
are contracted to do at their center: anything from spindles,
cardboard rolls, and nuts and bolts to fabric and bulletproof glass
scraps. The artists manipulate these materials to create collages,
sculpture/found object art, paintings and fabric arts that convey
who they are as individuals.

iXpress is an expressive arts program for people with
developmental disabilities that focuses on all forms of artistic
expression, from painting, clay sculpting and writing to acting,
singing and playing musical instruments. Participants are led
through an artistic process designed to fuel personal inspiration,
improve communication skills and develop a stronger sense of
self.

iXpress instructors work with occupational, speech and physical
therapists to provide each artist with individualized equipment and
methods to overcome their challenges with mobility, motor control,
language or learning. Many participants use adaptive artistic
equipment, including head pointers instead of hands, adapted
computers for writing, adapted paintbrushes, helmets equipped with
a paintbrush or other adaptive techniques.

Both Southeast Works and iXpress emphasize that their
individuals are not disabled artists, but artists with a
disability.

“Crossing Lines: Mind to Mind” is free and open to
the public. Summer gallery hours are 1-5 p.m. Tuesday through
Friday.